Perseverance in Prayer

Written by Caleb Thomas

“for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” 

Galatians 3:26 (ESV)

Apart from several cross-country moves which I now look back on with gratitude, I remember my childhood with fondness. I had everything a boy could’ve wanted. My days were spent in good schools, with good friends, enjoying hobbies that were good for me. My parents loved me and my brother well and we formed strong bonds with people at church who, throughout our relocations, persisted as the deepest friends. 

My mother was the one who spent the most time with us as she managed the home. My father was the one who was often gone working to support the family as an engineer. Far from being absent, he was always at the dinner table and was very involved in the sports we played. 

As I got older and entered the phase of teenage life where you think you have all the answers, I disengaged from my family and spent more of my days entertaining myself. It was around this time that my dad became an alcoholic.  

My dad has been struggling with alcohol ever since, and for roughly the last 12 years, our relationship has been strained. As an adult, I’ve been more distant from my family and with the help of my wife and several counselors, have come to acknowledge and mourn the diminishing of our relationship. Years of dishonesty, broken boundaries, and failed attempts at recovery have created distance between my dad and me. In essence, my dad has been gone since I was a teenager. 

Many of us have prayers we repeat night after night, lifted up to an invisible God, that have come to feel obligatory, stale, or empty. I’ve rehearsed my prayer well. It goes: “and God, be with my family. Help my dad live sober and restore our relationship”. 

Whether it’s prayers over addiction, illness, justice, salvation, or whatever other burden lay on our heart, there are times we grow numb to the emotion behind our words. Sometimes we do this because it’s just easier to say the words, say amen, and move on. We can’t bear the thought of breaking down, weeping, then having to piece ourselves back together. Other times, we refuse even to come to God in prayer, holding the pain of unresolved struggle in our hearts like precious polaroids hidden from the sun.  

Over time, many of us fail to believe that God has power over sin. After all, what’s changed since our prayers began? What reason do I have to hope that my dad will get better? Is this ever truly going to end? 

Such are the lies we repeat in our minds. Done often enough, we begin to forget aspects of God’s character. Our own life experience has taken the spotlight away from the truth of God’s word where it is written: 

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:22-26 (NIV)

In our suffering, God is compassionate. We read of his mercy throughout scripture, but especially in the psalms of lament where we see others just like us, crying out to God. Among the examples we see of lament in the bible, crucially, we also see recognition of God’s sovereignty and love for his people. At the end of Psalm 13, after crying out to God, we see David say:

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” 

Psalm 13:5-6 (ESV)

In our pain, we are still called to trust in and rejoice in the Lord. Sometimes this is done reluctantly, or while tears stream down. Jesus himself exemplified this anguish when he prayed to his father on the mount of Gethsemane. 

Some of the most profound worship experiences I’ve had have been during the fallout of pain. When we choose to cry out to the Lord as we proclaim his goodness and faithfulness, we live out what the bible shows true worship to be. The Old Testament word used for “worship”, shachah, literally means “to bow down” or “prostrate oneself before a king”. When we sing to God, we proclaim his truths in all seasons of life, bowing down before him. God knew that we would experience times of immense pain and worship is one of the ways he gave to help us endure our hardships.

Now as a man with a family and home of my own, I’ve found myself longing for a relationship with my dad again. I continue to pray for recovery and reconciliation, and at different times have received gifts from God in the form of quality time and conversations with my dad. I go through seasons of feeling hopelessness and seasons of encouragement. By his grace, my dad will embrace lifelong sobriety, and our relationship will be restored. Whatever the outcome may be, I know my refuge comes from the Lord and my hope is in him alone. In the interim, through prayer and worship I seek the Lord to help me persevere. 

“Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.” 

Psalm 126:5 (CSB)

(As I’ve been contemplating my struggle, these songs have brought me peace and helped me to worship. I hope they may have the same effect for you.) 

Your Love is Strong - Jon Foreman

The House of God Forever - Jon Foreman

Shout to the Lord/God of Wonders - Caleb and Kelsey

Psalm 126 - Bifrost Arts

Steadfast - Sandra McCracken

New Wine - Hillsong Worship

See also:

How Long O Lord - Peter Frey, Waypoint Church, 3/24/25

BLESS: A Simple Framework for Sharing Your Faith

Written by Ben Uthe

Most Christians know the command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We read it, nod

in agreement, and yet quietly wonder—what does that look like in real life? How do we

actually live this out in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and everyday routines in 2025?

The Bible tells us that God’s people are meant to be a blessing to the nations (Genesis

12), and Jesus himself modeled a life that drew people into the kingdom. But when it

comes to evangelism—verbally sharing the good news of Christ and inviting people to

respond—many of us freeze. We feel unqualified, intimidated, or simply unsure of

where to begin.

That’s why our church is taking a fresh look this fall at a simple, relational tool called

BLESS. It’s not a formula or a sales pitch, but a framework that makes sharing your faith

less overwhelming and more natural.

BLESS is an acronym:

• Begin with prayer

• Listen

• Eat together

• Serve

• Story

Each step moves us closer toward building genuine relationships where the gospel can

be shared authentically. Let’s walk through them.

Begin with Prayer

Evangelism doesn’t start with clever words—it starts on our knees. Too often, we think

about what we should say or how someone will respond to us. But the heart of evangelism is asking: what will they do with God? Prayer shifts our focus away from ourselves and back onto him, the only one who can open blind eyes and soften hard hearts.

If we truly believe people are lost apart from Christ (Ephesians 2:1–5), then our first step is simple but profound: consistently pray for specific people by name. Before strategy or conversation, invite God to do what only he can do—bring the dead to life.

Listen

Many people expect evangelism to feel like a lecture. But Jesus and Paul both showed us a different way. In Acts 17, Paul listened and engaged the Athenians where they were, even quoting their poets. In the gospels, Jesus constantly asked questions and gave people space to speak.

When we truly listen, people feel valued rather than targeted. Instead of rushing to deliver a “pitch,” we show that we care about their stories, struggles, and perspectives. Listening lays the foundation of trust.

Eat Together

Jesus was accused of being “a friend of sinners” because he shared meals with tax collectors and outcasts. Eating together is about more than food—it’s about intentional presence.

This might look like inviting a neighbor over for dinner, grabbing coffee with a coworker, or watching a game with a friend. It’s a step beyond casual chit-chat and toward genuine friendship. When we share life at the table, walls come down, and conversations naturally go deeper.

Serve

Serving meets people in their practical needs, big or small. Maybe it’s babysitting for an exhausted parent, helping a neighbor with yard work, or simply showing up during a difficult season.

Jesus modeled this consistently—he healed the sick, cast out demons, and fed the hungry. He didn’t dismiss people’s physical needs as unimportant. Instead, he demonstrated compassion and then invited them into the greater reality of God’s kingdom. Serving in small, consistent ways shows that our faith is real.

Story

Finally, we come to story—the part of evangelism most people think of first. This can be your personal testimony (before Christ, encountering Christ, after Christ) or simply a clear explanation of the gospel.

The goal isn’t just sharing information, but extending an invitation. As campus minister Steve Shadrach puts it, many people aren’t Christians simply because no one has ever asked them the “golden question”: “Do you want to follow Jesus?”

We don’t pressure or manipulate, but we do invite. The gospel is good news—life-changing news—and it demands a response.

Why Bother?

Let’s be honest: evangelism can feel uncomfortable. But the mission is worth it. Seeing someone come to know Christ is worth every awkward moment, every risk of rejection, and every uncomfortable step of faith.

The beauty of the BLESS framework is that it lowers the barrier. Anyone can start by praying for one person, listening well, or sharing a meal. Evangelism isn’t reserved for pastors or extroverts. If Jesus saved you, he can use you to point others toward salvation.

So ask yourself: who is one person you could begin to pray for today? What would it look like to listen, eat, serve, and eventually share your story with them?

The gospel is too good to keep to ourselves. Let’s be a people who bless our neighbors and in doing so, invite them into the greatest story told.

Welcome and Belonging

Welcoming others to church isn’t that hard. We like to greet each other and say, “glad you’re here.” What is more challenging is creating a culture where people know they belong and they are part of a family. I believe the call for the people of God is not just to be a welcoming church but a church where people feel they are more than welcomed, but they really belong. Let’s dive into what that means.

To belong is to know your identity and your role within the body. I think that is what we long for deep in our hearts because God made us in such a manner that we want to walk with others both giving and receiving. We see this all through scripture. The covenant people of God found identity as God’s people who are called to be a blessing to the nations. Covenant membership meant more than just a piece of paper saying you belong, it meant being known, being needed, being loved. It meant belonging. Waypoint Church, how can we be a church where all people feel welcomed and a sense of belonging?

Right now, at Waypoint we have an inclusion ministry called Buddy Ministry that serves children who need extra support in order to participate in Waypoint kids. We love buddy ministry, and we thank God for our volunteers! However, my desire is for us to go farther into what it looks like to be a welcoming and belonging church for all people, including teenagers and adults who might need more resources. Towards that end, there is a team that has been put together to help launch our inclusion ministry which we are calling “Embrace”.

Embrace desires to provide the extra resources for people of all abilities to have what they need to be able to attend service, grow in their faith, and serve our community. This is a church wide endeavor that needs all of us to embrace the call to help everyone feel the belonging we all desire. In return, we need to hear the voices and experience the gifts of all people. My hope is to communicate to everyone who is reading this and everyone who walks through our doors that you are vital, you are needed, you belong.